ITALIAN UNION CONFEDERATION EAGER TO HELP PROMOTE

UNCLAS ROME 000595 SIPDIS SENSITIVE DEPT FOR SA/PAB, DRL/IL AND EUR/WE DOL FOR ILAB/BRUMFIELD E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ELAB ECON EAID PGOV AF IT AFGHANISTAN SUBJECT: ITALIAN UNION CONFEDERATION EAGER TO HELP PROMOTE LABOR STANDARDS IN AFGHANISTAN REF: KABUL 303 ¶1. NOT FOR INTERNET DISTRIBUTION. ¶2. THIS CABLE CONTAINS AN ACTION REQUEST FOR DRL/IL AND SA/PAB; PLEASE SEE PARA 7. ¶3. THE COOPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT ARM OF ONE OF ITALY'S MAJOR LABOR CONFEDERATIONS (THE ITALIAN CONFEDERATION OF LABOR UNIONS, OR CISL) IS SEEKING MODEST FUNDING ($300,000) FROM THE ITALIAN MFA TO SUPPORT A CAPACITY-BUILDING PROJECT UNDER WHICH THE CONFEDERATION WOULD PARTNER WITH AND HELP DEVELOP AN AFGHAN MINISTRY OF LABOR. OFFICIALS FROM ISCOS, THE CISL'S DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION, ORIGINALLY BRIEFED US ON THEIR PROPOSAL IN LATE DECEMBER. WHEN CONTACTED IN EARLY FEBRUARY, THEY REITERATED THEY WERE STILL AWAITING A DECISION FROM THE MFA; IN THE MEANTIME, THEY WERE COORDINATING WITH THE ILO TO DEVELOP A SEPARATE PROPOSAL TO HELP DEVELOP A NASCENT TRADE UNION MOVEMENT IN AFGHANISTAN AS WELL. ¶4. WITH 4.1 MILLION MEMBERS, THE CISL IS ITALY'S SECOND- LARGEST UNION CONFEDERATION; IT HAS SUBSTANTIAL EXPERIENCE WITH DEVELOPMENT AND COOPERATION PROGRAMS. IT ALREADY HAS UNDERTAKEN SIMILAR CAPACITY-BUILDING PROJECTS WITH NASCENT LABOR MINISTRIES IN MOZAMBIQUE, ERITREA AND BOSNIA. ISCOS HAS EXPERIENCE IN THE REGION, HAVING PARTNERED WITH THE PAKISTANI LABOR FEDERATION TO DEVELOP TRAINING PROGRAMS FOR AFGHAN REFUGEES (REPORTEDLY IN COOPERATION WITH USAID). ISCOS ALSO HAS CONSIDERABLE EXPERIENCE WORKING WITH THE SOLIDARITY CENTER, THE DEVELOPMENT AND ASSISTANCE ARM OF THE AFL-CIO. ¶5. UNDER THE PROPOSED PROJECT, ISCOS WOULD INTER ALIA: -- HELP THE MINISTRY ORGANIZE ITSELF AND OPERATE, ADVISING ON ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE AND TRAINING PERSONNEL; -- PROVIDE TRAINING IN LABOR MARKET ANALYSIS AND OTHER FUNCTIONAL SPECIALTIES; -- ASSIST IN WRITING NECESSARY LEGISLATION AND REGULATIONS TO ENSURE AFGHAN LABOR LAW COMPLIES WITH INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS AND CORE LABOR STANDARDS; -- CREATE SELF-SUSTAINING "TRAIN THE TRAINERS" PROGRAMS FOR MINISTRY EMPLOYEES. ¶6. COMMENT: WE RECOGNIZE THE AFGHAN GOVERNMENT AND INTERNATIONAL DONORS MAY HAVE MORE PRESSING, URGENT NEEDS TO MEET BEFORE TURNING TO DEVELOPING A LABOR MINISTRY AND ANALYZING LABOR MARKETS -- ESPECIALLY GIVEN FINANCE MINISTER GHANI'S RECENT REMARKS ABOUT REDUCING THE NUMBER OF MINISTRIES (REFTEL). HOWEVER, TO THE EXTENT WE ARE TRYING TO PROMOTE IMMEDIATE OR GRADUAL ADHERENCE TO CORE LABOR STANDARDS, THE ISCOS PROPOSAL MIGHT OFFER A COMPARATIVELY LOW-COST WAY TO INCULCATE A SENSE OF RESPECT FOR THOSE STANDARDS, AND STRATEGIES FOR PROMOTING THEIR ADHERENCE, WITHIN THE APPROPRIATE AFGHAN MINISTRY. THE PROJECT MAY ALSO FIT IN WITH INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY GOALS OF IMPROVING DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE AND STRENGTHENING THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT IN AFGHANISTAN. WHILE THE GOI ITSELF HAS ITS HANDS FULL WITH MANAGING AFGHAN JUDICIAL REFORM EFFORTS, WORKING THROUGH ISCOS ON LABOR MINISTRY DEVELOPMENT WOULD THEORETICALLY NOT DISTRACT FROM THIS FOCUS. WE HAVE REQUESTED ITALIAN FUNDING FOR MANY OTHER DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS, HOWEVER, IN AFGHANISTAN AND ELSEWHERE, AND THE GOI HAS BEEN STRAIGHTFORWARD THAT ITS RESOURCES ARE STRETCHED. IF THE PROJECT IS DEPENDENT ON GOI FUNDING, IT MAY BE A NON- STARTER. ¶7. ACTION REQUEST: DEPT. PLEASE ADVISE IF YOU WISH US TO ENCOURAGE THE ITALIAN MFA TO PROVIDE FUNDING FOR PROMOTION OF CORE LABOR STANDARDS IN AFGHANISTAN, EITHER THROUGH THE ISCOS PROPOSAL OR A REVISED VARIANT MORE NARROWLY TARGETED AT THIS REQUIREMENT. ¶8. MINIMIZE CONSIDERED - KABUL. SEMBLER 2003ROME00595 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED